KARACHI: Already exhausted by devastating rains, enraged people took to streets late on Friday night in protest against K-Electric for its failure to restore electricity even after 40 hours in several parts of the city, blocking major arteries and streets in almost every locality.

Thousands of people became stuck in traffic jam on Sharea Faisal for hours as the protesters gathered near the FTC building chanting slogans against the power utility.

Residents of almost every locality across the city called Dawn offices to report that the power supply had been suspended in their localities for past 24 to 40 hours.

They said that the power utility suspended the electricity immediately after first drop of rainfall and did not entertain their complaints at their complaint centres which were ‘closed down’.

The protesters also gathered around K-Electric offices and centres and pelted them with stones.

Residents from several localities also claimed that team members of KE did not fix localised faults until their ‘palms were greased’.

CM visits KE office

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah visited the KE head office. He was briefed about the power crisis in the city by the chief of the power utility.

The chief minister asked the chief executive officer of the KE as to why power was not restored in parts of the city even after 35 hours.

He apprehended that continued power disruption could lead to law and order situation in the city as it was adding to their miseries, pointing out that people were holding demonstrations against the power utility across the city.

The CM asked the KE chief to immediately restore power supply in Gulistan-i-Jauhar, Surjani Town, Kharadar, Mithadar and Lyari.

KE claim

A spokesperson for the power utility, however, claimed that restoration work was initiated immediately when the rain stopped and regular power supply had been resumed to over 80 per cent of the city by mid-afternoon, including Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Saddar, Garden, Numaish, Punjab Colony, Korangi, Nazimabad, Federal B Area with the support provided by the city administration for drainage and dewatering.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2020